


A Sweet Discovery

by Rose_of_Pollux



Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Early Days, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 23:39:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15230589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_of_Pollux/pseuds/Rose_of_Pollux
Summary: In which, during his first spring as a resident of New York, Illya discovers that girl scout cookies are a thing.  Takes place in 1961.





	A Sweet Discovery

Illya’s first spring as a permanent resident of New York, no longer preoccupied with the Baron of THRUSH case that had take up the majority of the last year, was able to be spent in a relaxed and casual manner. Spring in New York was lovely—plants returning to bloom, birds nesting in trees, and the sky clear and blue instead of the wintery gray… There was a lot to take in and enjoy.

It was one morning, however, as he sat with a cup of tea on the stoop of the apartment building (as his kitten, Baba Yaga, chased around some grass clippings) that Illya was puzzled to see a group of young girls in uniforms, carrying wagons full of boxes as a chaperone led them from door to door down the street. He glanced up at Napoleon as he walked out onto the stoop, taking in a breath of fresh air.

“Morning, Tovarisch,” Napoleon grinned.

“Morning,” Illya returned. He indicated the children down the street. “What exactly is that about? Some sort of game?”

“Hmm? Oh, that’s Troop 144.”

“…What?”

“Girl Scouts. This is the time of year where they do their sales pushes.”

Illya scoffed into his tea.

“Sales pushes? Napoleon, they are _children_! Why must your society seek to fill the youth with capitalistic fervor so soon?”

“Well, for one thing, it teaches them responsibility, accounting, quick math skills, the value of hard work…”

“Let children be children, I say,” Illya insisted. “They should be playing games, reading books, climbing trees, having fun—not being forced into the world of grown-up matters so soon!”

“No one’s forcing them to do anything!” Napoleon insisted. “It’s extracurricular enrichment—they’re learning valuable life skills, and, believe it or not, are having fun in the process.”

“Hmm, if you say so,” Illya said, with a shrug. “And just what is it they are selling, anyway? Trinkets from Tiffany’s?”

“Nope—cookies.”

Illya paused, his teacup stopping on its way to his mouth as the kitten batted at it.

“…What kind of cookies?”

“Oh, multiple kinds… shortbread, peanut butter, chocolate mint…” Napoleon began, and he grinned as Illya downed the rest of his tea in one gulp, handed the cup and saucer to him, got up and approached the chaperone down the street to talk to her.

Illya then handed over some money to the girls and walked away with two boxes of each kind of cookie, which he carried in a precarious stack as the girls excitedly celebrated their big sale.

“…Contributing to the… what was the phrase you used? Capitalistic fervor of our youth?” Napoleon asked.

“ _Nyet_ , to the… what was the phrase _you_ used? _Da_ —extracurricular enrichment. The chaperone assured me that the proceeds go to funding the scout program, thus allowing the children from poorer families to join. I can live with that.”

“…And all the cookies don’t hurt, either, hmm?”

“Not at all,” Illya said. He leaned in. “They said they will have more cookies in the coming weeks; excuse me, Napoleon, but I must determine which of these are the best. And I would like your opinion, as well.”

“I’ve always been partial to shortbread, myself… It's like a little cake...”

It would be difficult attempting to keep a straight face as Illya took his sugary treasure inside with Baba Yaga bounding in behind him, but Napoleon would do his very best to do so.


End file.
